Ask Us Anything: Jenna Chused on rising prices in the tariff era

Summary

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Trade Tales: Ask Us Anything – Jenna Chused on Rising Prices in the Tariff Era

Podcast: Trade Tales, Business of Home
Host: Kaitlin Petersen
Guest: Jenna Chused
Date: November 12, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Trade Tales dives into one of interior design’s thorniest realities of 2025: how tariffs and economic shifts have led to rising prices for goods—particularly imported ones—and how designers can best communicate these increases to their clients. Host Kaitlin Petersen reconnects with Jenna Chused, a Brooklyn-based shop owner and designer, to offer actionable advice and firsthand perspective on managing client expectations, pricing structure, and financial vigilance in today’s climate.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Price Uncertainty Crisis

• [00:51, 01:22] Designers are struggling to keep pricing consistent with clients amidst rapidly rising costs driven by tariffs and shifting currency exchange rates.
• Clients sometimes return to old proposals expecting the same prices, only to find significant changes.
  • "You do a consult, you have a proposal out … they want to move forward … they know they actually ask, ‘have the prices gone up a lot?’ And I’m like, yes." – Unidentified Designer ([00:51])

2. Strategies for Handling Price Increases

• Proposal Validity Windows:
  • Proposals are commonly marked as valid for 30 days; invoices, 7–14 days.
    • "We usually put on the proposal, it's good for 30 days … and then on the invoice we usually put seven to 14 days." – Unidentified Designer ([02:16])
• Adjusting Markups:
  • Some firms are raising markups slightly (e.g., from 40% to 45%) to absorb unforeseen future price spikes.
    • "Maybe we're doing 45% because then that just saves everybody. We don't have to mark anything up to them, tell them anything happened or changed." – Unidentified Designer ([02:35])
• Sourcing More Domestically:
  • To reduce tariff exposure, designers are increasing sourcing from US-based vendors where possible.
    • "I try to order as much as I can from vendors that are made in the US ... that helps." – Unidentified Designer ([02:35])

3. Jenna Chused’s Firsthand Experience with Tariffs

• Jenna’s own business has shifted due to the economic environment:

  • She’s recently expanded her Brooklyn store, partly to show more inventory domestically and reduce reliance on expensive overseas purchases.
    • "We have this great office and then we walk through these arch doorways and we have this huge space … it allows me to buy more stuff. I can’t stop shopping. But actually … I have stopped shopping a little bit. I missed two shows this fall because of the tariffs." – Jenna Chused ([06:25], [07:49])

• Calculating the True Cost of Imports:

  • Currency shifts and tariffs combine for substantial increases—sometimes up to 35% before markup.
    • “With the dollar at like almost 120 and the 15% tariffs, that’s 35% before I even mark it up ... there’s a ceiling for vintage and antique goods.” – Jenna Chused ([08:57])

4. Communicating with Clients About Pricing

• Informing Clients from the Start:

  • Jenna advises being upfront about pricing realities—even sending out an info packet that details minimum project budgets as part of the vetting process.
    • "It's in my very first communication with them, we have a packet ... I started stating a minimum within that packet." – Jenna Chused ([19:43])

• Transparency on Tariffs:

  • Tariffs are passed through as a separate line item, without markup, to show clear separation from design fees.
    • "I do not mark up tariffs. I pass them through as a line item on the invoice ... so we do not add it into the cost of goods." – Jenna Chused ([11:58], [12:57])

• Clients Reacting to Price Jumps:

  • Clients have become more cautious about buying from Europe; some specifically request only US sourcing.
    • "Some of my savvy clients tell me we are not buying anything from Europe. Sorry, I’m not doing it right now. It’s the dollar, the tariffs. I’m not doing it right now. Please don’t source from Europe." – Jenna Chused ([11:58])

5. Project Management Amid Volatility

• Budgeting in Detail:

  • Jenna’s process involves creating a detailed Excel budget at the schematic design phase, estimating every line item and letting clients see the breakdown clearly.
    • "Every single thing on that floor plan is going to be on the budget, and we put a number to every single thing … that budget is like our bible throughout the whole process." – Jenna Chused ([21:40])

• Adapting to Inflation:

  • There’s an expectation that higher budgets (and higher-end clients) will be necessary as costs rise across the board.
    • “… we'll probably have to take sort of like higher end budgets just because things cost more. And I’m still trying to get it done with a certain budget.” – Jenna Chused ([15:14])

• Repricing for Returning Clients:

  • For clients who pause and then resume projects after months, Jenna recommends repricing everything—and possibly billing for the extra work involved.
    • "I would have to be repeating work that I might not be getting paid for ... you would have to literally reprice everything." – Jenna Chused ([18:38])

6. The Emotional Toll and Long-term Industry Shifts

• Jenna expresses sadness at scaling back on European sourcing but acknowledges it’s a necessary adaptation. She anticipates further inflation and local price increases in 2026 as upstream components imported by US manufacturers get more expensive.
  • "We can't control that ... I feel sad that I can't first go [to Europe] because I know that I'll be priced out. ... I just keep going back to it's not just the tariffs. It's also the dollar." – Jenna Chused ([26:02])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Currency & Tariff Double-Whammy:
  “The dollar at like almost 120 and the 15% tariffs, that’s 35% before I even mark it up … you can only get what you can get for something because there’s a market value.” – Jenna Chused ([08:57])

• On Client Transparency:
  “I do not mark up tariffs. I pass them through as a line item on the invoice because I want them to see this is government, this is not us.” – Jenna Chused ([11:58])

• On Changing Client Behavior:
  “Some of my savvy clients tell me we are not buying anything from Europe. Sorry, I’m not doing it right now. It’s the dollar, the tariffs. I’m not doing it right now.” – Jenna Chused ([11:58])

• On Budget as a Guiding Principle:
  “That budget is like our bible throughout the whole process.” – Jenna Chused ([21:40])

• On Tariff Conversations vs. Early Pricing Conversations:
  “Yes, because this is fact. This is just like—they, the government is charging us this. We need to charge it to you … but if I tell them it takes me five hours to find a chair, that is arbitrary. That is something that is just me … It’s really fact vs. something that can move.” – Jenna Chused ([25:21])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction / Issue Framing: [00:03] – [01:22]
• Designer Dilemma (Client Pricing Lags): [00:51] – [02:26]
• How Proposal Windows Work: [02:16]
• Impact of Tariffs & Currency on Inventory: [08:57]
• Jenna’s Communication Strategies: [11:58], [19:43], [21:40]
• Advice on Returning Clients & Repricing: [18:22] – [19:29]
• Expectations Around Inflation & Industry Change: [15:14], [26:02]
• Proactive Financial Vigilance / Best Advice: [27:53]

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Final Advice & Best Practice Tips

• List tariffs as a separate, non-marked-up line item on invoices to promote transparency and goodwill.
  • "That's why I list them out, because I want to keep talking about it. I want people to be angry." – Jenna Chused ([27:33])
• Communicate minimum budgets and pricing structure at the very start to level-set expectations.
• Always re-bid or re-price projects for returning clients if significant time has passed.
• Regularly monitor all business and credit card transactions (fraud is everywhere, even with a bookkeeper).
  • "You have to be looking at your credit cards weekly … my best piece of advice to anyone listening is to be super vigilant." – Jenna Chused ([27:53])
• Build flexibility into your sourcing and be ready to pivot as market/economic conditions evolve.

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This episode offers candid, actionable insight for designers navigating today’s volatile design marketplace. Jenna Chused’s directness, paired with her commitment to client transparency, presents a model for maintaining trust while adapting to an era of unpredictable costs.

Transcript

[Jenna Chusen]

Foreign.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Hi, I'm Caitlin Peterson, the editor in chief of business of Home. Welcome to Ask Us Anything where we're tapping your favorite Trade Tales guests to answer all of your questions about building a better design business. Some weeks we'll be workshopping a crisis. In others we'll take a step back to talk about the big picture. Things like embracing change, hiring or how to level up. No question is out of bounds. No question is too or too small. And we're keeping it confidential so that this is always a safe space to air your frustrations and share your fears. This week we're hearing from a designer who's looking for help when it comes to communicating with clients about tariff related price increases.

[Unidentified Designer]

I think it's mainly showing up when a client, you do a consult, you have a proposal out and they take a long time to get back to you and they want to move forward. They just haven't had time to look at the contract. So then they go and look at it and then they know they actually asked have the price has gone up a lot. And I'm like, yes.

[Caitlin Peterson]

In today's environment, this designer has quickly realized that she can't assume a quoted price will hold. With that top of mind, she's wondering if her approach should change too.

[Unidentified Designer]

You know, they're understanding and I always just tell people, I'm like, prices are what they are. I can't change the prices of things. I think when you tell them that whether they're going to spend the money or not, it calms them down. Yeah, this has happened a couple of times, but hasn't been outrageous enough for me to go back to the client. But let's say we do like full room invoicing and if it's a remodel project, I don't need the tile to be there tomorrow because demo hasn't started. So let's say I don't order the tile right away, but then I don't order it for a month. It could have gone up. That's on me for not trying to figure out what else to do. It's like you want to get the order in to save the price, but.

[Trade Tales Host]

Then, well then they're paying for storage somewhere else. Right?

[Unidentified Designer]

Exactly. Unless the vendor will hold it no matter what, somebody's going to pay for it. And how you word that in a contract, very difficult.

[Trade Tales Host]

How long are you guaranteeing prices for your clients? Right now?

[Unidentified Designer]

We usually put on the proposal, it's good for 30 days. That's just the overall quote for the job, which are estimates and then on the invoice we usually put seven to 14 days.

[Trade Tales Host]

Do those windows feel like enough in today's environment, or are you also sort of reevaluating how long you can realistically guarantee a price for?

[Unidentified Designer]

So far it's been okay. I think there's some vendors I try to order as much as I can from vendors that are made in the US So that helps. And then, you know, we usually do a 40% markup on things we get at wholesale, so Maybe we're doing 45% because then that just saves everybody. We don't have to mark anything up to them, tell them anything happened or changed, and then.

[Trade Tales Host]

Right, the price stays the same. And yeah, you're not hurt by it. Right?

[Caitlin Peterson]

There are so many factors to consider here, all layered one on top of the other. First, for some designers, tariffs have dramatically changed the costs their clients face for imported goods. And they're struggling now with whether to chase clients who have bigger budgets or change the way they work entirely. Those same economic headwinds have resulted in price increases for many domestic brands too, leaving designers to wonder how many new costs their clients will be able to bear. And with all of those prices trending ever upward, designers are also starting to realize that they need to level set differently with both new and existing clients about what kind of budget it's going to take to finish a project. That's an extra wrinkle in a conversation that can already be so challenging for so many. As we ended our call, I knew just who to connect with to help this question asker. Someone who puts pricing at the forefront of her client conversations and who's actively reevaluating the way she shops in today's climate. All that and more in just a moment. Designers tell me again and again that their ultimate goal is to create beautiful, functional homes that are a true reflection of the clients who live there. If that sounds familiar, I've got some great news for you. Fourhands has created its latest collection with exactly that ethos in mind, introducing a thoughtful range of silhouettes and layers of patterns, textures and materials expressly designed to let you take your creative expression to new heights. Forehands believes that every space has a story to tell. And with the decorated home collection, they've passed the imaginative reins to you. There's only one rule. Make it personal. Let self expression lead the way. And explore the benefits of shopping with Four Hands for your next [e-mail] Tradetales.

[Trade Tales Host]

Today I'm joined by Jenna Chusen as.

[Caitlin Peterson]

A guest on Trade Tales. Earlier this year, she shared how educating clients on the cost of design was a crucial step in her vetting process. She's also an avid antique shopper and sources abroad frequently for big ticket items in her design projects. I thought she'd be the perfect person to answer today's question. Hello.

[Trade Tales Host]

Thank you so much for joining me today.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Trade Tales listeners.

[Trade Tales Host]

Heard from you back in January. How has 2025 treated you?

[Jenna Chusen]

Yes, well, it's been interesting. We had moved to a new office last year around this time and thought it was there to stay. We loved it. It was in Red Hook, and a new space came available right around the corner that was larger and that opened up into another space that I felt that I could expand antique my store. So we have just moved three days ago and we have this great office and then we walk through these arch doorways and we have this huge space. So I had. I just got a container delivered yesterday as well. And so we have so many new things. And I'll keep the store on Atlantic and then have do appointment only here and hopefully drive traffic down here when they're in the store in Atlantic and take appointments with other designers.

[Trade Tales Host]

What helped you realize that this new space was sort of the right home for the business you wanted to have? Looking ahead?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, I think the store was sort of getting too full, and it wasn't. I wasn't able to sort of like, wasn't able to make the styling decisions that I wanted to make. It was getting overcrowded. And then I would sell things to clients, and then they would have to come out of the store. So we'd have them in our office or I'd have things coming in because it was a better way to shoot because we had like this beautiful colored wall. So we were just literally sitting in the middle of tons of furniture and mirrors and art. And so it might sound nice, but we felt like we were in a store room. So the first idea, I was just going to, you know, try to find, like, a warehouse space near us because there are lots of, you know, we're in Red Hook. So I thought maybe I could find something. And then this came about and I was like, wait a minute. When everything's just sitting around, it doesn't have to be in storage. It should be shown and it should be. And the other thing is, like, when I have clients here, I'm not always taking them to the store. And so this is a great way to show clients, you know, the inventory we have, the items that we're suggesting for them. We can have our meetings in the showroom. So it's a beautiful space. So we're just really excited. We've never had a space this big.

[Trade Tales Host]

That's amazing. How will you decide what items are shown, you know, in Atlantic and what items live in Red Hook with you?

[Jenna Chusen]

I think we'll do maybe some of the higher priced items here. We get more of a residential clientele on Atlantic with designers, but here it would probably be mostly design clients coming here. But I say that. But who knows? Like, we have a great clientele in Brooklyn Heights that, you know, love us, so who knows? But that's exciting. Yeah. It allows me to buy more stuff. I can't stop shopping. But actually, I mean, that'll probably take us into the next conversation. I have stopped shopping a little bit. I missed two shows this fall because of the tariffs.

[Trade Tales Host]

Yeah. Are you ready to give some advice? Let's do it.

[Jenna Chusen]

Yes.

[Trade Tales Host]

We are fielding a question this week from a designer who is definitely feeling those same economic headwinds. And I think is, is realizing that she's sort of at the limit of what she feels she can safely promise to clients when it comes to price. What made you decide to sit out some of those shows this year and how are, how are changing prices showing up in your work?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, you know, so we both order vintage from other sources abroad and we order new things abroad. And then I have my own business where I'm going to antique markets and buying containers and bringing them back. So, you know, I felt that I had enough stock from overseas because with the dollar at like almost 120 and the 15% tariffs, that's 35% before I even mark it up. So those prices are high and like there's, there's a ceiling for vintage and antique goods. I can't just add it on. You know, no one's going to pay $6,000 for one lamp or whatever. It is like silly, you know, like, you can't. You, you can only get what you can get for something because there's a market value. So I set out two shows this fall and I'm trying to buy locally right now. And then as far as my clients, you know, I love sourcing from France and Italy and Belgium. Like, it's part of like the vendors we use. And it hurts that we're sort of like not looking there first because it would always be I would sort of look there first. And now I have to think about it because it's really the tariff mixed with the dollar that's the problem. 35% on everything we buy is a problem.

[Trade Tales Host]

Yeah. I want to start maybe with a question that I asked our question asker too, which is how long are you guaranteeing prices for clients right now? Is the quick shift part of the challenge?

[Jenna Chusen]

Yes. Because when we buy high end upholstery, we usually put a down payment. So I had bought like a huge sofa for someone in Paris and we put the down payment on and then he had the balance. And when we put the down payment on, the dollar was at 112. And so we knew the exact exchange. We put it in studio designer and then we had the remaining balance and he said to us, he's like, is the remaining balance still that balance? And we were like, oh yeah, of course. And then we were like, wait a minute. Actually, he's right, it's not. And so then the dollar is at 119. And because of the dollar amount of the item, it was like an extra like $4,000 and and then tariffs on top of that. So all of our customers are pretty easygoing about it because they know it's not in our control. But it's something to look out for internally when you're pricing to remember that the dollar is moving target and you shouldn't just. I have my girls. I actually have them check with the bookkeeper on the wire. You can't just look up the exchange rate. It's usually three points more in the bank. So I really have them check that out because it, you know, the 37 points is a big difference on some of those higher priced items. And you have to be pretty accurate or I'm losing money totally.

[Trade Tales Host]

How are you talking about the price of goods and services with your clients, you know, going into a project this year?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, I'm almost afraid some of my savvy clients tell me we are not buying anything from Europe. Sorry, I'm not doing it right now. It's the dollar, the tariffs. I'm not doing it right now. So please don't source from Europe. So I think it's really clients tell. I think a lot of this happened to clients we were with pre tariff and you know, they're, they feel the same way I do. They're just sort of like it's something that they don't like but they know they have to do. I do not mark up tariffs. I pass them through as a line item on the invoice because I want them to see this is government, this is not us. This is totally separate. So that's how we do it. We actually do it as a reimbursable cost, so we do not add it into the cost of goods. And so it's pre. It's pre markup, too. So I wouldn't. I wouldn't, you know, like. Because I'm getting it, you know, 30% less the tariff is on that, that. So I let them benefit from that. And I do not mark it up.

[Trade Tales Host]

So that you kind of carve that out separate and then put your markup on that original cost.

[Jenna Chusen]

Yes.

[Trade Tales Host]

Where have you seen the most significant increases?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, I mean, It's a flat 15 across Europe. When he increased the upholstery to 30, I almost had a heart attack. And it was really hard to find out that it did not apply to the EU. So when I found that out, the 15, you know, it is what it is. India is a problem. I do rugs in India. I'm sort of like, not really doing it right now. Nepal is still 15, I think. So, I mean, you know, I'm not Lulu and George or Crate and Barrel. I'm not making furniture in Vietnam or China. So it. I think that it's affecting those businesses a lot more. I think that those businesses are going to have real problems because they have a certain price point that it defines their brand. And so if you increase that by 35%, I can see that being a real problem.

[Trade Tales Host]

Have you seen prices shifting significantly from domestic sources, too?

[Jenna Chusen]

No, I don't think so. I mean, they're so happy that they can say, oh, you know, come get our goods. We don't have tariffs, so. No, I think that. Well, actually, I say that, but all the stuffing or springs or all these components that go into upholstery, they're still getting overseas. So we're still gonna see slight changes, I don't think been as apparent yet. I think that second quarter of next year, I think we'll start seeing price increases because it's only been, you know, what, since April?

[Caitlin Peterson]

April.

[Trade Tales Host]

May, yeah.

[Jenna Chusen]

Yeah. So I don't think it's being passed down yet because everyone thought it kept changing. But I think we're. We're all going to feel inflation the first and second quarter of next year, in my opinion.

[Trade Tales Host]

Yeah, what. What will that require you to do in your business? You know, separate from the tariff, which is sort of this specific line item, that idea that, you know, kind of inflationary pressure comes to the design industry changes kind of the average cost of every single item you're sourcing. How do you start to navigate something like that?

[Jenna Chusen]

I mean, the Thing is, we can't control that. And I think that, I think we'll probably have to take sort of like higher end budgets just because things cost more. And I'm still trying to get it done with a certain budget. So I think that that is what will happen is I think people will increase their FF and E budgets because they have to. And you're going to have to get the clients that can do that. I think that if someone has a tight budget and they were going to think that they were doing it a certain way, that might not be possible. And I think that that will be the change within the industry. But I think we're going to have to focus on people that it doesn't hit as much.

[Trade Tales Host]

Where which increases are the ones that give clients pause. Like are there some things that clients can stomach more than others when it comes to seeing a price jump up?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, I mean I think that the biggest price jumps are probably on upholstery and we always are presenting things from overseas. And I think that when they think about the tariffs and the dollar, they say no, they say, I don't want that. That's silly. That's a silly price for that. Because it was a silly price before I put that, you know, like, you know, we're dealing with really high end goods. You know, a sofa could cost like 30 to 50,000 if you're in a certain place. So, you know, I think that's when clients are just like, we're not doing that. And so I need to make sure that I'm showing them things that they'll approve. And I think it's really hurting the business overseas. Like I think that in fact they do a lot of their largest business with the U.S. i've heard that from multiple European vendors because there's more money here and people spend more money on interiors here. So they must be. I'm wondering what their business, what they're seeing because I'm feeling it a little bit. Like I'm definitely trying to think of more local because I don't want to deal with the other.

[Caitlin Peterson]

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[Trade Tales Host]

For this question asker who, you know, had, I think, clients who walked away for maybe two months and then they came back and they were like, hi, does everything still cost the same?

[Jenna Chusen]

No.

[Trade Tales Host]

Right? And she had to be like, no, it does not all cost the same.

[Jenna Chusen]

How.

[Trade Tales Host]

How do you navigate clients like that who want to come back to a job after a pause and, and are kind of faced with like a new reality and a new set of costs to get the job done?

[Jenna Chusen]

It's almost like I would think twice before accepting them back. I, you know, because I would have to be repeating work that I might not be getting paid for.

[Trade Tales Host]

Do you bill for that or.

[Jenna Chusen]

I think you would have to, I mean, depending on how big the project is. But you would have to literally reprice everything. I don't think the US vendors, a lot of them were not increasing prices because depending on, you know, how cheaply they get the. You have to remember their tariffs are on their base cost, not what they're selling it to us for. So it was easy for them to take that out of their margin and say, we're not increasing prices. So I think it was just when things became like 30 and 50 from, from Asia that the people making things there had to actually increase prices.

[Trade Tales Host]

Zooming out, you know, how are you structuring early conversations with clients about just what design costs in general? How are you setting expectations about, you know, what they should anticipate spending over.

[Caitlin Peterson]

The life cycle of a project?

[Jenna Chusen]

You know what, it's in my very first communication with them, we have a packet. When someone reaches out to employ us, I send them a packet just telling them about our firm and how we charge. And I started stating a minimum within that packet. And so I say, you know, if this all looks good to you, the next step would be to schedule a zoom. And so I think that I'm really upfront with how much it's going to cost them.

[Trade Tales Host]

Is there still sticker shock at some point in the process or does that do a really good job of helping people sort of opt in or opt out?

[Jenna Chusen]

Well, the problem with that is that sometimes people don't know. And if I had not put that and had a conversation with them, over the phone first or a zoom they might have been, well, I just don't know how much it costs. I can afford that. I just didn't really know that. And so I'm learning to accept it. And so I have to be careful because that could be a great client, you know, and then maybe they just didn't know. And then once they see it and they see things and they do a little research themselves, they're like, oh, yeah, now I know I had never done this before, but now I understand what you're saying. And this is. Makes sense that this project is going to reach, you know, this amount, because, you know, I always explain to them, if you're moving into, like, a room that has no furniture, it's not just like a bed and a nightstand. It's. It's the light, the shade, the rug, the other. You know, and it's like even buying it from Crate and barrel would be 25k if you had to buy every single thing in a room, including shades.

[Trade Tales Host]

It's easy to add up to a big number.

[Jenna Chusen]

Very easy.

[Trade Tales Host]

Are you also, in those early conversations, sort of breaking down, here's what you'll spend, like, on design with us, here's the cost on services, on other tradespeople, on, I don't know, the wallpaper installer or the tile guy, and then also kind of breaking out, here's the cost for product that we anticipate.

[Jenna Chusen]

Yeah. So our first meeting, our schematic design meeting, is a floor plan. And that floor plan is translated into a budget in Excel. So every single thing on that floor plan is going to be on the budget, and we put a number to every single thing. So the first thing we do before any design is done is sort of review the budget and make sure before we look for anything that we're all good on the number. And, you know, we, you know, depending on the client, sometimes they want to see every single thing and they like to change the numbers around, or they just want to say, okay, if you stay under this number, I don't care how you spend it, but if we stay there, then we're good. Or I can add per room and we can, you know, maybe that's easier to look at, but that's the first thing I do, because there's no reason to spend our time looking for product in the wrong price point. I mean, I'd much rather have a client that says that gives me a top number, but you have to have that top number be informed. So they sort of do need to look at the spreadsheet, because they can't just, like, pick a number out of nowhere. Because even though that might be a high number, it might not reflect what we need to do for that specific space. So that's the best client, because then I decide how that money's spent. So I can, you know, propose something beautiful that's like, so, you know, sort of out of budget. But then I promise I'll make it back in these three rooms, because I know I have to, because I know I only have a total of this. That budget is like our bible throughout the whole process. You know, I think my. I would never want someone to overspend unless, you know, or, you know, I say to them, you know, we're reaching budget. You know, like, should we pull back? Or they're like, okay, here's another 200. You can go get accessories and bedding and all of these things. But that is the last money coming in. You know, I think. I think it's better. I don't like when people look at every line item and I, you know, if I have a coffee table and lower and high, and they're just like, no, I want to spend this on a coffee table. That's hard, because if they don't see the value in a coffee table, that's fine, but that gets too granular. And I don't think that that is the way to look at a budget. I mean, if you want to break it down, I think per room would be good, because, you know, I want to spend the most money in the living room. I don't care about the guest rooms. Like, that's fine. I think that that's a good way to look at it. But I still think that people need to see that sheet once just to see what goes into the room so they understand how. How the budget, how we're getting there.

[Trade Tales Host]

When you did have some of these tariffs come through that you had to pass along to clients, did that add to their budget in those cases? Or did that mean that you kind of had to shift what you were doing to come in under budget?

[Jenna Chusen]

So far, it's only happened to two of my clients, and they had a lot of upholstered furniture coming over. And, yeah, I was, like, afraid to tell them, but, like, what can I do? It's not me.

[Trade Tales Host]

They're reading the news, too.

[Jenna Chusen]

Yeah. So they're, you know, they sucked it up and paid it. You know, what. What were they going to do?

[Trade Tales Host]

It's so funny because in some ways, you know, so often on this show we talk about, like, how much pushback designers can get, especially in the early days around how they charge and clients not understanding sort of the pricing mechanics of the design industry. And weirdly, tariffs are so much more straightforward. It's like, oh, yeah, everyone's getting the same information. Like, it's hitting everyone the same way. Are these conversations actually easier than some of those early conversations about money and how your business works?

[Jenna Chusen]

Yes, because this is fact. This is just like they. The government is charging us this. We need to charge it to you. The dollar has gone up, and we have to reassess the second payment, and it is no longer five, it's now seven. You know, like, those are facts that I can't, you know, but if I tell them, it takes me five hours to find a chair that is arbitrary. That is something that is just me or, you know, so that's why, you know, it's really fact versus something that can move and can go left to right.

[Trade Tales Host]

How much are you changing your approach to account for some of the kind of economic unknowns in today's landscape?

[Jenna Chusen]

I guess we're just sourcing less abroad, which is sad to me because, you know, there are amazing things here in America. But, you know, I am the kind of designer, I definitely want to buy things for my clients that not everyone has. So I don't love. Like, that's why I use so much antique and vintage in my projects, is because I don't want to go to the same place every other designer is going and get the same couch that I've seen in ad last week. So I always try to find new vendors, small vendors. I'm always going to trade shows, and there's a lot of talent in Europe, and I feel sad that I can't first go there because I know that I'll be priced out. And I just keep going back to. It's not just the tariffs. It's also the dollar. I mean, three years ago, the dollar was at 1.03 and 1.19. $19 is a big difference. So, like, everything I, you know, when you're shopping, everything's 20% more. So that plus the tariffs, 35% is like, especially with things that were already sort of expensive because they were handmade or they were collectible design, then it is. It's not okay, you know, with. And my 30.

[Trade Tales Host]

Yeah.

[Jenna Chusen]

So that's. That's a bummer. Like, I really feel beaten down on that. Like, I feel like I tried to keep it going, but I think it's hard right now. To buy overseas.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Any final advice for our question asker or for the listeners out there who are grappling with all of these price fluctuations?

[Jenna Chusen]

Let's hope that inflation happens and everyone goes crazy and Trump gets. Stops the tariffs. Like, that's why I list them out, because I want. Like, I want to keep talking about it. I want people to be angry.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Before I let you go, what is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

[Jenna Chusen]

So the best piece of advice I've ever received was from a best friend of mine who's also a designer, and she just told me, you have to be looking at your credit cards weekly. I'm, like, literally looking at them every day. I'm looking at my bank account, and I'm sort of like, well, I have a bookkeeper. Like, they're reconciling everything. Like, how could there be a charge that I wouldn't know about? Because they're reconciling everything. And I have had so much fraud in the last year, and it's been on my credit cards, all of them. And it'll be things like Uber and Amazon and things that you can't easily trace. And then the craziest thing happened to me last week is someone got into the email account from the store and sent my bookkeeper an email saying, with an Invoice attached for $22,000.

[Trade Tales Host]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Chusen]

For one piece of art. And said. Knew his name, said, allie, could you please pay this today? We need to pay this. And that's a common thing that she would send him. And I'm always cc'd. And so they cc'd me, but spelled my address wrong so he didn't catch that my address was wrong. So then that went back and forth and he was unable to do the transfer. And he called me or sent me a text, and he's like, I need you to call the bank because I'm trying to do this transfer. It's not going through. So I was like, okay, I'll call the bank. And then I suddenly just sort of like, I was like, what have we bought for $22,000 over at the store? And I looked at the invoice, and it was for a piece of art, and I knew we did not buy it. The only reason the bank didn't let it go through is because of the amount and that it was someone we had never paid. So the owner of the account had to call. But, like, that's crazy. And so I just. I think that my best piece of advice to anyone listening is to Be super vigilant. Like, look at your credit cards. And it's not like, it's not the things that you're reconciling. Like, you know, if you buy something, you have a po, you have an invoice, they match up. It's those reimbursable expenses that are a little like, you know, we all buy from Amazon every day. We're all taking Ubers every day. Like, I've had so much fraud, you know, old employees, like, put my credit card on their phone and never took it off. And like, wow, you just have to look. And so now, you know, even though my bookkeeper is great, we locked and we had done this for a while, but ACH wire checks, nothing goes through until you get a second approval. So even though he writes them, I have to go in and look at them and check that they're approved before they go out. And just constant communication with him, you know, it's not just something, oh, you know, I'll talk to him in two weeks. It's looking every day when you're running a small business.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's our show for today. Thank you so much for being here and for everyone listening with a question of your own. I'd love for you to ask us anything. Don't worry, we'll keep it anonymous. Please start the conversation by sending me an [e-mail] if you're enjoying Trade Tales, please leave a review on Apple Podcast to help others discover the show. And if you're looking for even more great business advice, head on over to businessofhome.com trade deals is produced by me, Kaitlyn Peterson and Caroline Burke. This episode was edited by Caroline Burke and Michael Castaneda. Our theme music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you here next week.